Sir: The article written by François Gautier, “Christ and the Northeast” (IE, Nov.20) needs a few comments. After commending the Person of Jesus as a “great avatar of Love” and the work of the Christians, particularly the missionaries who worked in India for the poorest sections of the society, Gautier decries their “exclusiveness”, this feeling of sole ownership of the Copyright of God”. True, there have been aberrations in the past. But today we cannot say that there are forcible conversions to Christianity. The Church does not allow this type of proselytism. There are less churchgoers in the West, but it does not mean that religion is fading in the West. Youth is seeking another type of religious experience, often without knowing exactly what they want.
The mission of the Church is to evangelize, to proclaim the good news of liberation given by Jesus of Nazareth, the “great avatar of Love”, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. Today’s world needs the good news brought by Jesus. Not only the poor, oppressed tribals from the Northeast of India, but all the rich people of India do need the liberating message of Christianity. What the people need in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, for example, is to uphold their dignity and human rights. The Catholic schools are shining in India because of the dedication of the missionaries, priests, sisters and lay leaders. Christian missionaries do not preach separatist, secessionist slogans…Christians cannot preach violence, but they are expected to struggle for justice and brotherhood. Conversion to Christianity does not uproot the way of life, tradition and customs, but it has to transform the whole ethos with genuine values. This is the conversion process. Yes, the Christian community has influenced India with their values, imbibed from the message of Christ, the revolution of love, respecting the cultures of the people in India… Let this process continue in the Third Millennium!
Dr.Ivo da C.Souza (Goa)